The situation at the border crossings Gevgelija and Kumanovo for the period: 28.12.2015 – 03.01.2016
January 8, 2016
The weekly report on the situation at the border crossings Gevgelija and Kumanovo includes the following topics: Available facilities and conditions at the camp and Institutional treatment.
Gevgelija
Available facilities and conditions
In this period a total of 16,014 refugees were registered, which is 24% less than the number of refugees registered in the previous week, which amounted to 21,036.
Double insulation has been set up in both of the big tents in the camp, in order for the tents to warm up better and more quickly. Although the heating is functional, it sometimes requires an intervention of the volunteers on field in order to switch the heaters on.
Most of the time the hygiene maintenance in the tents is terribly bad, due to the delayed reaction of the janitors when it comes to cleaning after the refugees who have left the tents. This also increases the danger of spreading contagious diseases amongst the refugees.
The ticket office of Macedonian Railroads works with two sale windows during the time when the trains have not arrived, which enables rapid flow of refugees and decreases the time they spend in the open air.
On 29.12.2015 the camp was empty due to the protest of taxi drivers who blocked the railroad again. The blockade lasted until the next day. In the oncoming days, groups of refugees were allowed to board both buses and taxis.
Institutional treatment
The number of police officers in the camp has been reduced, i.e. only about 10 of them were present.
In this past week, the presence of the Serbian police was also visible, most often represented with two police officers.
The border police is facing a new challenge. Allegedly, refugees arriving from the Greek side are coming with already prepared Macedonian documents (counterfeited) which are supposed to be regularly issued to them in the camp in Gevgelija. This practice is being researched by the police, while the refugees presenting such documents are sent back to the Greek side.
Kumanovo
Available facilities and conditions
Due to the protest of the taxi drivers, the camp in Tabanovce was empty on 30.12.2015. After it finished, the first refugees in the camp arrived in taxis, and later on the first train also arrived.
In the days when the weather is better, the refugees immediately continue on their way to Serbia and spend very little time in the camp.
Due to the snowfall, the conditions are significantly aggravated, since not all of the tents have heating.
The need of warm winter clothes and footwear, as well as hot meals, has increased.
Institutional treatment
In a police action in the vicinity of Kumanovo, Macedonian citizens who were allegedly transporting refugees illegally were discovered at a petrol station. The refugees were accommodated in the petrol station and were transported to the surrounding villages from there.
This report is made possible by the generous support of the Foundation Open Society Institute (FOSI) within the project „Improvement of the rights protection for migrants and asylum seekers in the Republic of Macedonia“. The contents are the responsibility of the Helsinki Committee for Human rights of the Republic of Macedonia and do not necessarily reflect the views of FOSI.
